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Recipe Detail Page
Cheddar-Cranberry Bread Twists
Holiday 2014
Golden cheesy bread sticks studded with cranberries are a wonderfully unexpected treat to serve with holiday drinks or to kickoff a holiday meal, especially if you are starting with a soup or salad. If you don’t want to bother with the twisting part, simply roll the dough strips and you’ll wind up with softer bread sticks. Both are lovely.
Makes 40 bread sticks
½ cup (125 mL) warm water
1 tsp (5 mL) granulated sugar
1 pkg (8 g) active dry yeast
6 oz (175 g) orange-coloured old cheddar cheese, chilled
¼ cup (60 mL) dried cranberries
1½ cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour
1½ tsp (7 mL) salt
3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard (optional)
Olive oil for brushing
1 Pour lukewarm water, 110°F (43°C), into a bowl. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Sprinkle with yeast, but don’t stir. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, using the shredder disc on food processor, shred cold cheese. It should measure about 2½ cups (625 mL), not packed. Remove to a bowl. Replace shredder disc with metal blade. Add cranberries and pulse until chopped, about 20 times. Pulse too much and you will create a sticky ball. Remove cranberries and set aside.
3 Place flour and salt in processor and whirl to blend. When yeast is foamy, whisk in 3 tbsp (45 mL) oil plus mustard (if using). Turn on processor and gradually pour mixture through feed tube. Dough should form a sticky ball. Then, continuing to whirl, gradually add cheese through feed tube. If dough forms a tight ball before all the cheese is added, remove top of processor, spread out dough and evenly sprinkle with cheese. Then whirl just until cheese is evenly distributed in dough.
4 Using floured hands, gather dough into a ball and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead until dough is smooth, about 3 minutes, dusting with flour when it becomes sticky. Place dough in an oiled bowl. Cover with oiled wax paper and then a damp cloth. Sit in a warm place (such as the top of the refrigerator) until almost doubled in size, about 1 hour.
5 Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets or line with parchment paper. Lightly brush work surface or a nonstick baking mat and a heavy rolling pin with olive oil. When dough is risen, punch down. Roll dough out to form a rectangle approximately 8 x 12 inches (20 x30 cm) with the longest edge facing you. Evenly sprinkle with cranberries. Roll dough again to firmly press cranberries into dough and then stretch to a rectangle, approximately 10 x 15 inches (25 x 38 cm).
6 Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel, cut dough in half along the long length, forming two 5 x 15-inch (13 x 38-cm) pieces. Slice each into ¾-inch (2-cm) strips. You will have 40 strips.
7 Pick up one strip and, holding both ends, twist in opposite directions. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining strips. Loosely cover with oiled waxed paper and let rest 15 minutes.
8 Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
9 Bake breadsticks until golden, 18 to 22 minutes. Watch closely near end of baking, as they brown quickly. If baking on 2 different racks, rotate halfway through baking. Remove to a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container to keep them crisp.
Makes 40 bread sticks
